PhD Candidate in Surface Treatment of Recycled Aluminium

This is NTNU

NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

   

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About the position

Are you passionate about sustainability and innovation? We are excited to offer you an opportunity to make a significant impact on the environment. By joining our collaborative project with SINTEF and the aluminium industry in Norway and Sweden, you will play a crucial role in reducing CO2 emissions by increasing the use of post-consumer scrap in aluminium production.

Your work will enable the creation of high-quality aluminium surfaces that meet the highest standards, all while contributing to a sustainable future. Take the next step in your career and be part of a team that values your contributions and is dedicated to making a difference. Apply now and help us shape the future of sustainable aluminium production!

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department. 

Your supervisor will be Prof. Andreas Erbe.

About the project

You will delve into the mechanisms of surface treatments, particularly alkaline etching and anodising, to understand the processes that determine the visual appearance and optical properties of aluminium surfaces.

The primary goal is to uncover the factors that determine these properties and use this knowledge to develop a robust anodisation process. This process will be tailored to accommodate the wide compositional diversity of recycled aluminium, ensuring that the resulting surfaces exhibit exceptional visual quality after decorative anodising independent of alloy composition.

Duties of the position

• Laboratory work for surface treatment, including electrochemical experiments
• Relevant experimental method development
• Surface characterisation, optical and visual characterisation
• Data analysis
• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Contribution to academic publications, conference presentations and popular science dissemination

Required selection criteria

• You must have an academically relevant background within Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physics or a similar discipline.
• You must have a Master's degree or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than 1 Dec 2025.
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the doctoral programme in Materials Science and Engineering, https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phmt .
• Your academic degree must contain appropriate modules and courses involving laboratory.
• Your English language skills must be appropriate for communication in an academic context.

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions and Regulations for the degrees philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) and philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Interest in fundamental aspects of industrial processes
• Good communication and presentation skills
• Excellent ability to work in a team
• Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian/Scandinavian equivalent level B1

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to:

• Work independently
• Present and discuss your research with researchers from academia and industry
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• Analyze data, assess different perspectives and draw well-founded conclusions

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• Access to state of the art laboratory facilities
• Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Working capital that can be used to implement the project
• Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• As a public employee, you have favourable benefits as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK) 

You will be employed as a PhD Candidate at NTNU and will have access to employee benefits and discounts.

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values ​​are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals. 

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education. 

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality. 

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 550 800,-per annum. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary. 

Start date: No later than December 2025.

The employment period is 3 years. In agreement with the Department, the possibility for up to 1-year extension exists with 25% teaching duties. (To undertake the teaching duties it is a requirement that the candidate speaks Norwegian or another Scandinavian language).

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Materials Science and Engineering (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phmt) within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.

The position is conditional on external funding.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control(legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to bein conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

About the application

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompanythe application as these documents formthe basis ofthe applicationassessment. The documents must be in English. 

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must besent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request.

The application must include:

• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees, or equivalent
• CV
• Copy of Master's thesis. Documentation of a completed Master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Short letter of motivation (max. 1 page)
• Relevant certificates you consider relevant for the application
• Own research works you consider relevant for the application
• Names and contact information of three relevant referees

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both Bachelor's and Master's education, in addition to other higher education. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well.

Joint work will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions, and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates.

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

General information

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the exemption is not granted.

If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Prof. Andreas Erbe, phone +47 73594048, e-mail: andreas.erbe@ntnu.no or phd-corrosion@material.ntnu.no . 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR consultant Marie Kristiansen, e-mail: marie.kristiansen@ntnu.no

Application deadline: 31.08.2025

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For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. 

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.